I text Thor the moment I open my eyes. He responds immediately and asks me when I'll be over for breakfast.
Even through my earplugs, I can hear the clowns snoring—one of them is so loud it shakes the trailer, and that’s no joke. Fucking clowns.
I text back,Is right now too early?
I thought you wanted to sleep in?
I did... You wouldn't believe how loud carnies snore.
I don't snore. Do you?
I bite my lip before replying,You'll have to wait and see...
A few bear snores rise and fall before he finally texts back,Come over. I'll start breakfast.
I practically somersault off my cot. Hilda groans and throws a pillow at me when I turn on the vanity light.
"Silence," she grumbles. "Need sleep. Muscle recovery."
I lotion up, get on some deodorant, untangle my hair, and throw on some workout shorts and a sweater.
"You girls get your sleep," I say on my way out. "Momma’s got a breakfast date."
Hilda gives me a halfhearted cheer as I shut the door.
Thor's home is a lot like him: big and beautiful. The two-story ranch house rests atop a small hill overlooking fields of gold. A single red truck is parked in the cobblestone driveway in front of the two-car garage. It's hard to imagine that one person lives in a place this big. It feels like his castle on the hill, a paradise.
Of course, I grew up in dingy apartments and have been living on the road for two years, so maybe it's not as big as it feels.
I park the van next to his truck. The sun is establishing its warmth for the day, but an insistent breeze chills me as I hop out. The big garage doors are open, revealing a mess of metal, pipes, workout equipment, tools, two motorcycles (one half assembled), and what looks like a chemistry set on a worktable.
Now I understand how one person could need all this space. How many hobbies does this guy have? Is he brewing beer in there?
Thor is already waiting for me at the front door. A clean red apron hugs his body, and a white hand towel hangs off his shoulder. He smiles like the sunrise.
"Coffee?"
"Oh God," I sigh. "You know exactly how to talk to a girl in the morning."
Seeing him again makes me feel like I’m walking the tightrope. Butterflies flutter inside of me, urging me to take flight. I waltz right up to him and slide my arms around his shoulders. He pulls me into a deep hug, lifting my toes off the ground so that one of my sandals slips off.
"Hope I'm not underdressed," I say as he sets me down. "With all the crazy outfits I have to wear for work, I keep it comfy when I can."
"It's nice seeing you like this. Feels more... you."
"Thanks..."
Thor stares at me like I’m a gazelle that's wandered onto his property.
I clear my throat and bite my lip. "You gonna invite me in?"
Thor blinks, reanimating and stepping aside. "Of course. Please. Everything is ready."
All right, this is definitely the biggest house I've ever been in. It's so open, so spacious, but absolutely filled withThor. The entryway is almost claustrophobic; there are so many pictures on the walls that they fight for space: Thor on construction sites with other men in bright hardhats; Thor accepting a trophy from the chili cook-off; Thor shirtless and absolutely stacked with shredded muscle, acceptinganothertrophy for what must've been a bodybuilding competition. Everywhere I look, I see his smiling face.
"I gotta ask," I say as he shuts the door. "What's with all the pictures? You trying to impress your visitors as soon as they walk in the door? Is that freaking Arnold Schwarzenegger standing next to you?"
“That’s him,” he says nonchalantly. "Are you impressed?"
